Terror attacks
2 policemen die in attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi; over 32 die in Orakzai blast
ISLAMABAD/NEWDELHI/BEIJING:MORE than 30 people died in Pakistan on Friday in two separate terror attacks - one at the Chinese consulate in Karachi and the other at a mosque in the tribal district of Orakzai.
On Friday afternoon, three terrorists targeted the Chinese consulate in the Clifton area of Karachi. The attack was foiled by security forces, leaving at least seven people dead.
Two policemen lost their lives due to multiple injuries caused by an explosion, while a private security guard was injured. Two civilians, a father and son, named Zahir Shah and Abdul Karim, were also killed.
All three terrorists were killed by security forces. Police said all the Chinese staffers “are safe and secure”.
In the attack in Orazkzai, a suicide bomber blew himself up on Friday morning in the Kalaya Bazar area, killing at least 32 people. The number of injured, according to the political administration of the region, stood at 28. The lower Orakzai district is situated near the Hangu district.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned both the attacks, saying this was “a planned campaign to create unrest in the country by those who do not want Pakistan to prosper”.
Minister for human rights, Dr. Shireen Mazari, termed the attack a fallout of the failure of the US in Afghanistan.
In the attack on the Chinese consulate, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said it was too early to comment on who was behind the attack. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility in a Twitter post. The BLA’S claim could not be verified independently.
It is believed the government might try to pin this attack on the BLA to justify a military operation against Baloch militants. Pakistan-based TV news channels have started to link the BLA to the attack.
At least one attacker was wearing a suicide vest that did not detonate.
Mehran Marri, a Uk-based Baloch activist and the brother of Balach Marri, a former BLA leader, condemned the attack, saying, “Of course, I don’t support it... I support speaking at the UN. I support the world coming to the help of the Baloch people and resolving this humanitarian issue.”
Pointing to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Marri said, “The CPEC is just part of the actual problem, and that is, Pakistan’s occupation of Balochistan and Pakistan’s brokership of Balochistan to China.”
BEIJING CONDEMNS KARACHI ATTACK
China condemned the attack, urging its ally Pakistan to ensure the security of Chinese citizens.
“China strongly condemns any violent attacks against diplomatic agencies and requests that Pakistan takes practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the country,” Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a press briefing.